Family Campers

[George Miklas]

[George Miklas]

[Bazimars]

Great board & interesting thread...

I'm still learning the ropes on the board but I hope to contribute over the next little while. We are five in my family - my wife, 3 boys (between 3 and 8) and myself. We have been enjoying camping together for a couple of seasons in our Apache camper(yes, one of the old hard-sided pop-ups). Its been great but we are just about to buy a pre-loved HiLo. We're planning a fairly extensive trip this season and I am learning lots from this board.

Thanks again.

Bazimars
Newbie to Hilo

[gym]

Since we bought our coach last summer we go just about everywhere in the thing. Our kids range from 12, 10, 3. Our oldest is in charge of the check off lists. The middle one is in charge of the videos and toys. The little lady keeps our dog calm while we load up. The dog gets hyper about the trip, but does just fine during the trips. We are gone most weekends from April to Oct. at a variety of auto races.
But we've taken it to wrestling camp, the rock and roll hall of fame and even a baseball game and amusement park.It just makes it so much easier with the kids. My wife will drive most highways making even a 600 mile day a reality.
It sure beats the past tenting affairs. Although I must admit the bonding time was and still is great!!

[KEMPSCAMP]

Yes that's us as our oldest is 16 & is just like Dad he loves to go camping. He wants to drive the tow rig!! Last year visting my wifes family out in South Dakota I did let him tow down the gravel road to the farm. Guess I can't leave Sarah out she's 11.

Tow vehicle 2000 F-250 PSD Crew Cab Short bed

[AL]

Hi All,
I have to say that the camping/RV lifestyle, makes a big differance in bonding time!! I hear people at work with kids 13 and older, saying how there kids don't want to be with, or go away with them. We have two kids 14 & 17, and they always looked forward to the next trip. Even when we have given them a choice of staying home with friends or coming with us, they have chosen to come!!! So IMHO, the camping/RV lifestyle is a great one!

Al,Sandy,2 kids and 2 small Dogs
2000 Windsport Class-A 34' with a slide
1995 Jeep Rio Grand(Toad) 4Down
Camping since 1967
RVing since 1991

[dancogan]

We took our kids camping from the time the first one was just a few months old. And we had some great trips in our pop-up, to the Smokies, the Rockies, and around Michigan. But the best part of all was a time when our oldest was home from college on a break and said, "You know, Dad, a lot of kids at school never took trips with their families like we did, to Cades Cove, or the Tetons. We were really lucky to be able to do that kind of stuff."
Makes everything you work for and do seem worthwhile to hear that. None of our vacations were fancy, none of them were very expensive, but they sure did provide a lot of good family time!

Dan, Geri & a Sheltie named Holly

[Paul R. Haller]

I have 3 great kids,7 12 and 13 and we have been camping every summer since the oldest was able to walk. We no longer have the tent trailer and camping is not the same with a large 5er but the memories are still being made every time we go out. I can't think of a better way to get good family time togeather.
The misses and I look forward to quit working so hard and go fulltiming for a while.
-Paul R. Haller-

[5x5er]

We began tent camping about 6 years ago and began RVing about 1 1/2 years ago. I just wish we had started sooner. We have found RVing/Camping to be a great family activity...everything from planning the trips to upkeep of the 5th Wheel. It provides such a family-focused time and we wouldn't change the experiences and memories for anything.

We are leaving for Wyoming on Friday. This will be our first "big" trip out of Texas. Boy are we excited and looking forward to new adventures and more family memories.

2000 Skyline Aljo 5th Wheel Bunkhouse/Slide,
2000 Ford F350 6 Speed Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab
"Texas Aggie - Whoop"
"Texas Boomer"

[sbourg]

George, I just happened to click on this heading and forum topic by mistake, or I would not have noticed your poll. Your demographic is not going to representative - it will appear far more people in this forum have kids than do in reality.

You need to move this poll to a general forum.

Steve

[FYRF8R]

Started tenting as a kid and did that with my wife until our daughter was born in 1995. We bought a tent trailer and then my son came along and we went to a bunkhouse fifth wheel. My wife and I seperated last year and now I have a slide in camper. It's actually the most convenient but too cramped for four. With me and my two kids it's just right.

[Crossroads]

We are a family of four. Myself, the wife, and two boys 10 and 12. We had camped as a couple years ago in tents and a 17 foot Yellowstone, but had to quit when the kids were born as we felt it was better that the wife stayed home. We bought a new pop up this year and found it not to be what we wanted so we leased a Dodge Quad cab and traded the pop up for a fifth wheel. As I work in the summer (the last one) we camp at a town campground ata beach within 15 minutes from home. It is a great experience and both kids say this is the best summer they ever had. Wait til next year when we take off and go.
We had the pop up in Cape May and really wanted to stay. We want to go to the Outer Banks of NC as well as Gettysburg next year. We are planning a six week trip and can't wait to go.
T

[TerryP]

We are a family of eight! No fifth wheel trailers allowed as no rigs to pull them that will hold all of us!
We really enjoy our Ford Excursion with the diesel and have been blessed with a great Sunnybrook trailer. As others have stated, we never dread heading out to camp for a day or 2 weeks.
There's no better way to travel and besides - we would need 2 hotel rooms and can you imagine what packing and unpacking would be like

Happy Trails

Terry

p.s. I am 41, my beautiful wife is 35 and we have 3 boys and 3 girls ranging in age from 1 to 11

2001 SUNNYBROOK 33BWS
2000 EXCURSION PSD 4X4, Hypertech PPIII

[fire58p12]

We purchased our pop up when my wife was pregnant. We used that beauty for 1 1/2yrs. with our infant daughter. We just purchased our TT with bunk beds in back and still love it. My daughter likes to go out for hikes in the woods with Dad and to Go fishing etc... She's only 2 now and always asks to go camping. I grew up camping first in tents the my parents bout a PU camper and as the family got bigger the bought a TT and when disaster struck and our house burnt down the bought a 2nd TT to live in while we rebuilt. We traveled all up and down the east coast. Some of my fondest memories are spending time with my dad on these trips. Camping DOES help create strong family bonds. I thouroughly recomend it.